The present invention pertains to improved service in mobile communication systems, and more particularly to service changes carried out under base station control to implement a base station""s preferred service option assignment.
In current wireless communication systems, a mobile station and its supporting infrastructure equipment are able to negotiate with one another to reach a particular service configuration. This process is typically referred to as a service negotiation procedure. Such negotiation is necessary, for example, because a mobile station may request certain services which are not supported by the base station or other infrastructure equipment. To implement the service negotiation procedure, the services are assigned service options, and within the infrastructure equipment, a plurality of different transcoders may be associated with different service options. When communication between the base station and the mobile stations is established, only one type of transcoder within the infrastructure equipment is assigned to the particular combination. If, during the communication, the mobile station requests a different type of service to be implemented, a new service negotiation procedure is implemented to fulfill the request.
However, a commercially significant problem arises when the base station or other infrastructure equipment is not efficiently used. For example, less efficient service options are often invoked by mobile stations which are pre-programmed to request a lesser service option which is more likely to be accommodated by the largest number of base stations likely to be encountered. Thus, a need exists for more efficient service option procedures and the equipment for carrying out such procedures. It would be desirable to provide base stations of mobile communication systems with improved control after call setup so as to move the mobile subscriber to a service option pre-determinedly preferred by the base station, while the call is in a steady/conversation state.